Wednesday, November 23, 2011

It's over 4 years since Rita Ann read for North Beach. The evening was such a roaring success that it got them thrown out of their then venue: BK's restaurant (which, as some people will have noticed, has since disappeared also!)

Rita Ann will be reading from her new poetry collection Ireland is Changing Mother, which 'chronicles the lives of the Irish dispossessed, before as well as since the demise of the Celtic tiger ...'

Eight poets have qualified for this year's Grand Slam, which will be a 2-round slam for all eight poets. The winning three poets will be published together in 2013 in the North Beach Poetry Nights' Anthology 2.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The November Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, November 24th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Erin Buttner,Stephen Byrne & Donna Potts.

Erin Buttner is a writer, baker, broadcaster, and veteran living in Kinvara, Co Galway. A native New Yorker, Erin immigrated to Ireland in 2008 to take a Master's degree in Writing at NUI Galway. Her poetry has been published in Chronogram arts magazine in New York, Three Times Daily and Ropes. She is presently drafting her memoir based on the 4 years she spent serving in the US Military. She can be heard every Sunday from 3-5pm on Rascal Radio.

Stephen Byrne is from Coolock North Dublin but for last eight years has lived and sweated in a kitchen as a chef in Galway. He has participated in Kevin Higgins's poetry class at Galway Arts Centre and was chosen to participate in the poetry master class with Simon Armitage at this years Cúirt Festival. He was short-listed for in this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. His interests are mainly surrealist poetry and he is currently working on two collections of poems. His work has been published in Longpoem magazine and Arc Poetry Magazine in Canada.

Donna Potts grew up in Joplin, Missouri and is a professor at Kansas State University. In 1994 her book length study of the poetry of Howard Nemerov was published by University of Missouri Press. Her book on contemporary Irish poetry is forthcoming also from University of Missouri press. Her own debut collection of poetry, Waking Dreams, will be published early next year by Salmon Poetry.

There will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Over The Edge was delighted to learn just now that we have been awarded the same amount under Galway City Council's 2011 Arts Grants as we received in 2010, 2009 & 2008.This will be a great help to us in keeping our extensive literary programme going, and indeed expanding it next year.